


Voldemort’s Psychopathy Assessment

by Emriel



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Character Study, Psychopathy Assessment, Why Voldemort is a Psychopath, Why Voldemort is not a Psychopath
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-17
Updated: 2019-04-17
Packaged: 2020-01-15 08:57:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18495634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emriel/pseuds/Emriel
Summary: A character study of Voldemort using the Psychopathy Checklist. Here’s why he is and isn’t a psychopath.





	Voldemort’s Psychopathy Assessment

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Shortboi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shortboi/gifts).



> I just felt like I had to share this and I’m gifting this to Minjain <3 Because you want to know why I think Voldemort isn’t a Psychopath. A disclaimer, I’m no psychopath expert, and much of what I wrote is based on the book “Psychopath Whisperer” by Dr. Kiehl. It’s also supported by a Thesis I found online which I used to cross check my answers if they matched (most matched).
> 
> I hope this helps other writers/readers regarding Voldemort’s characterization. Though I really just wanted to get it out of my system (and maybe put it somewhere where I can easily reread it). I love Voldemort so much and doing a character study like this is incredibly fascinating to me.

The term Psychopath has been thrown around for years and it has been attached to any number of abnormal behaviours in people. Some even mistakenly call/label serial killers and  criminals as “Psychopaths” when they can just be “psychopathic” but what really does the label mean?

The term originates from the Greek words Psykhe and Pathos and loosely translates to Suffering Soul or Suffering Mind. The definition changed during the course of time since it was first coined, and people started to create checklists to determine whether or not a person is a psychopath.

Psychopaths generally lack emotion, empathy and guilt. They like to lie, and have poor behavioural controls. They don’t really bond. Most of them don’t even care about their children. They don’t ruminate and so they don’t worry so much about the consequences of their actions or what ifs.

Psychopaths have perfectly functioning brains and they’re usually intellectually capable. They should not be confused with sociopaths. Most of them don’t think anything is wrong with them, and majority aren’t interested in “changing” themselves.

 

* * *

  

For the purpose of Voldemort’s assessment, I’ll be using the Psychopathy Checklist - or the Hare Psychopathy Checklist Revised. There are 20 items in which I have scored Voldemort as 0, 1 or 2.

0 if the item doesnt apply. 1 if it somewhat applies. 2 if there is enough evidence to support the fact that it does apply.

In the US, the treshold for being a psychopath is 30 out of 40 points. In the UK it’s 25 out of 40.

What people don’t understand is that the severity of the crime doesn’t equate into being a psychopath. Trained individuals do a thorough background check on the people concerned and interview them. They use things like this checklist to determine whether or not they really deserve to be labeled as one.

 

* * *

 

**Glibness/Superficial Charm**

Have you ever met a person who seems to have so much to share? They can act so unassuming and energetic. Friendly. Everyone else who meets that person tends to feel like they’re so interesting and most of the time people get fooled by that aura of “energy” or that mask of theirs. But in truth, you feel it in your gut that there’s something wrong with that person. And the scary part is, sometimes you don’t.

Voldemort did a very good job regarding this. All throughout his life, he had a facade around everyone else including his followers. He could “charm” people and be “persuasive enough”. This alludes to his superficial charm because we all know that underneath that pretty exterior of his is a criminal who wouldn’t hesitate to kill if you possessed something he wants.

.

Voldemort’s Score: 2

 

* * *

 

**Grandiose Sense of Self Worth**

Someone who perseveres through hard work to earn a title is someone who is worthy of it. Psychopaths think most people are beneath them and they are the best without putting in that effort. For example, a man who’s been sent to prison can be so egotistic to say he can defend himself even when he hasn’t done formal education to do so.

In Voldemort’s case, he put in the effort to become the Dark Lord. He put in the effort to gather followers. He endlessly researched and technically worked really hard to get to where he was. However, he thinks of himself as the “Darkest Wizard of All Time” or “The Most Powerful Wizard Alive.” He even refers to himself in third person. “Lord Voldemort forgives. Lord Voldemort punishes…” This almost godly image of himself (when he is not yet a god of any kind) is all we need to give him a perfect score.

.

Voldemort’s Score: 2

 

* * *

 

**Need for Stimulation or Prone to Boredom**

Psychopaths can rarely focus on one thing. Often times, psychopaths would pursue an interest then switch to another. This is all due to boredom. This often leads to alcoholism, drug abuse, substance abuse and the like. On the other hand, Voldemort shows that he has at least some bit of focus… however evidence suggests that his mind does tend to change and even he gets bored.

For one, there might be a reason as to why his original followers were called the Knights of the Walpurgis and eventually he changed the name to Death Eaters. This denotes a shift in focus. He also started a job as a shop keeper, when he could have been **anything**. He could have been part of the ministry, changing the Wizarding world from the inside out but instead, he went trinket gathering. One of his goals was to become a professor in Hogwarts but that never came to be because he never tried hard enough and instead cursed the Defense Against the Dark Arts position for all eternity after being rejected a second time.

When he found out about the prophecy, it was possible that his focus of taking over the wizarding world was so jarred that he acted out of impulse and without planning, he tried to kill Harry Potter which well of course, turned him into a wraith.

But his actions also indicate that he does have a goal in mind. He had followers that shared his vision. He wouldn’t have been able to lead them without the single minded focus of eradicating opposition, muggle lovers, and the like. He was just prone to slipping from time to time.

.

Voldemort’s Score: 1

 

* * *

 

**Pathological Lying**

People lie 1.65 times a day. Most of them are white lies. Pathological liars on the other hand can’t control the urge to lie. They lie about anything when there’s no reason to lie about things. They lie even when it’s obvious they’re lying. They don’t even care if they get caught. They just lie compulsively.

Pathological liars are good story tellers. Most of the stories they tell are usually grand and designed to make themselves more “impressive” to their listeners.

There is evidence in the movie and books that Voldemort is a rather “honest” person, because he wouldn’t have said the truth to Albus Dumbledore that he could talk to snakes and hurt people. But some degree of lying would have been involved when he was manipulating people.

Again, Pathological liars can’t control the lie, but if Tom was using it for his own gain, then he was aware that he was lying and he’s in complete control of himself when he does it. But for the benefit of doubt, since he does lie often, there might be an element of mendacity to it.

.

Voldemort’s Score: 1

 

* * *

 

**Conning or Manipulation**

Voldemort made friends so he can use their assets just like how he kept on using the Malfoy Manor as his secret lair. I wish he wasn’t so obvious. He manipulated Ginny Weasley into opening the Chamber of Secrets. He conned people to do the dirty job and even forced people into giving up Harry Potter by threatening their lives.

Voldemort is a master manipulator. He deserves a perfect score for this.

.

Voldemort’s Score: 2

 

* * *

 

**Lack of Remorse or Guilt**

They don’t care about the impact of their actions. Voldemort cut up his soul more than seven times. Unintentionally or intentionally, he still mutliated it. He is unable to regret, and does not want to repent. The only way to undo the creation of a horcrux was to feel remorse for the crimes committed for its creation and Voldemort has none of that.

.

Voldemort’s Score: 2

 

* * *

 

**Shallow Affect**

Love = Sex. Most Psychopaths would think that way. They would never be able to feel the profound idea/emotion of “love” that other humans can feel and empathize with.

Psychopaths rarely feel emotions for anyone. They understand the terms, but they cannot feel it. They know the words but not the music. These people generally never experience grief, honesty, deep joy, or genuine despair.

Because of this, they never really tend to worry about what happened in the past or what will happen in the future. This makes them the direct opposite to people who are obsessive compulsive in nature.

In a sense, it makes you wonder because Voldemort worried about Harry Potter being a threat to him, however he acted on the threat right away.

Voldemort might have started with having a capacity for other feelings except of course for love. We all know that Voldemort is incapable of love as a result of a child born with the help of a love potion. But he further multilated his soul which reduced his humanity. He showed no anxiety regarding fear and punishment. He does fear death though to an unhealthy degree. This fear of death, while alarming is something that he doesn’t continuously ponder on and he made the logical decision of creating horcruxes in order to prevent himself from dying.

And perhaps, even if threatened with death, Voldemort will never change.

.

Voldemort’s Score: 2

 

* * *

 

**Callous / Lack of Empathy**

Voldemort has a wicked temperament. He delights in the mental and physical abuse of others. He likes controlling people. He enjoys torture and the only time he ever listened to his follower’s command was when Severus Snape begged him to spare Lily Potter.

He tried (his best) not to kill her, but killed her anyway after she refused to stand aside.

.

Voldemort’s Score: 2

 

* * *

 

**Parasitic Lifestyle**

If you ask others to provide for you all the time then you are a parasite. A person who does not want to leave the house of their parents, who continously begs for money, for anything and everything they need from others just so they can support their own lifestyle. That’s a parasite.

Voldemort procured things on his own, but occasionally he would rely or impose himself on his followers just like what he did with the Malfoy family.

.

Voldemort’s Score: 1

 

* * *

 

**Poor Behavioral Controls**

Even as a kid, Tom was prone to anger and he’d take it out on the other children. In Hogwarts, he was rather calm and collected but he grew insane as he rose to power and proceeded cutting up his soul. He tortures his own followers and is known to suffer fits of rage that even Harry can feel through their inexplicable mind link.

.

Voldemort’s Score: 2

 

* * *

 

**Promiscuous Sexual Behavior**

With this term, it’s pretty obvious what it means… but to explain, Psychopaths are very promiscuous. Sexual proclivity is a common trait because they associate sex with love. That is the extent that most psychopaths can feel good.

In some cases, Psychopaths can be as young as ten and by the time they enter their teenage years, they would have had multiple partners. And even if the relationships they’ve had don’t have their consent, they hardly show the trauma for it. There is evidence that suggests Voldemort was promiscuous, being able to “charm” and “persuade” anyone when needed. So he’s not above to using his own body to get what he wants.

Despite not having any concrete material on how promiscuous he is, in another “spinoff” of the Cursed Child, he has sex with a married follower (Bellatrix Black) in order to produce an offspring/heir.

.

Voldemort’s Score (based on my characterization): 2

_*But you can easily prorate this because there is no evidence or not enough background information to show that he was promiscuous +.5._

 

* * *

 

**Early Behavioral Problems**

As a kid, he tortured anyone who did bad things to him. He killed a rabbit. Adults were afraid of him. He stole things and kept them as trophies. Clearly there’s something wrong with this kind of behavior.

.

Voldemort’s Score: 2

 

* * *

 

**Lack of Realistic Long Term Goals**

Can you really get rid of all the muggles in the world? Can you kill all the muggleborns or prevent them from conspiring against a society that prevents them from associating with their own families? If Voldemort had trouble hunting down Harry Potter (a kid less than a third of his age), and couldn’t even recognize that Harry carried his horcrux despite him being a Legilimens, what’s to say he was sane enough to take over Wizarding Britain, and the world?

But some of the plans Voldemort had were carried out. He took over the ministry and was close to winning the first wizarding war. The HP verse would have been very different if Voldemort was not riddled with “Harry Potter” problems and if he didn’t go after the prophecy. His impulsive actions became his downfall. Or perhaps, as fate would have it in that version of reality, Tom never had any chance of winning against a brat who seemed to be blessed with a luck potion from birth.

Voldemort’s Score: 1

 

* * *

 

**Impulsivity**

Being impulsive means you give in to an urge without carefully thinking/planning it. It can also mean being opportunistic. When the opportunity arises, you grab it immediately.

For the most part except for Harry, Voldemort seemed to be very careful with his planning. It was only when he was presented with the prophecy that he rushed into action.

There was also that time when he wanted to carry on Salazar Slytherin’s mission of purging muggleborns, but he hadn’t thought it threw that Hogwarts might get closed because of his actions, so he hastily put together a plan that would draw someone else’s attention. The scapegoat is Hagrid. Poor Hagrid.

.

Voldemort’s Score: 1

 

* * *

 

**Irresponsibility**

Psychopaths rarely feel a sense of responsibility. They don’t have a word of honor. They don’t usually pay their debts.

Voldemort is contrary to this. He protects Nagini. He is concerned with his followers, so much so that he broke his most loyal out of Azkaban. He’s very responsible in giving what he owes, and he would not be respected and followed by uppity purebloods if that wasn’t the case.

.

Voldemort’s Score: 0

 

* * *

 

**Failure to Accept Responsibility for Own Actions**

There is only power and those too weak to seek it. Those were Voldemort’s words. Voldemort is proud of his crimes and proud of what he has accomplished. The only time he ever shirked in the responsibility was when he was in trouble of getting caught, during the Chamber of Secrets. He blamed it on Hagrid instead.

He also refused to admit to Dumbledore that his actions were wrong, that stealing was wrong.

He knows how evil and how despicable his crimes are but he gets away from the responsibility of owning it if it suits him and for this reason, despite embracing his infamy as the Dark Lord later on, we’ll give him a point.

.

Voldemort’s Score: 1

 

* * *

 

**Many Short-Term Marital Relationships**

Voldemort doesn’t get married. Most Psychopaths remarry one person after another.

.

Voldemort’s Score: 0

 

* * *

 

**Juvenile Delinquency**

By the time Voldemort was a teenager, he already killed his parents, moaning myrtle, and framed his uncle AND created horcruxes. He practiced the Dark Arts, tortured, and was busy creating his own band of homocidal followers.

.

Voldemort’s Score: 2

 

* * *

 

**Revocation of Conditional Release**

This means failure to change when an opportunity is given to redeem oneself after being caught by let’s say an institution or being held in prison. Psychopaths usually get caught and they’re put behind bars multiple times during their life time. Tom was never arrested though, so this does not apply to him. Since this is an item that cannot apply to him since he’s experienced it, we’ll have to prorate the score.

.

Voldemort’s Score: +.5

 

* * *

 

**Criminal Versatlity**

Murder, raid, theft, assault, robbery, arson, torture, unlawful confinement, antisocial activity, public intoxication etc. Voldemort is a criminal and we all know it. There’s no need to explain this.

.

Voldemort’s Score: 2

 

* * *

 

This brings us to a grand total of **28.5** if we assume that Voldemort is promiscuous and **27**  if he’s not. In US standards Voldemort **is not** a Psychopath. In UK standards he **is**.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think and if you find anything here useful.


End file.
